A Long Way To Go
by Basium1
Summary: Jasmine Lily Potter was many things and free wasn't one of them. She wouldn't stop until she was, though.
1. Chapter 1

"You sure you want to do this?" She nodded at the auror, he chuckled for a moment before growing serious. She flinched when he held out his hand, "I'm gonna need your wand and I'll have to check you for anything he can use to escape. Procedure and all that."

This was where she hesitated. The auror picked up on it, although not for the right reasons, "No worries, Missy. I'll just check you over with magic. All you gotta do is hold still and hold your breath. Now then… wand?"

She held out her holly wand out with a forced smile and allowed him to cast the spell without a problem. He frowned and poked her forehead with his wand, "How long you had that scar for?"

"All my life," she responded, unable to maintain her smile.

"Well… good luck in there, kiddo. You get ten minutes with the prisoner."

Jasmine stepped into the room, surprised that she had made it this far. The door was shut behind her and she wished for her wand to materialize in her hand. It didn't happen. She refused to look at the reason she was here.

She swallowed and allowed herself to get distracted. This office had _so many_ books. The shelves were bloated and she was sure that if they were sentient they'd be crying from the obvious strain. She focused on the stack of books that _he_ was sitting on.

He spoke.

"There's a pretty princess if I've ever seen one!" She began laughing, earning his protests immediately, she actually snorted before she was upon him, "I'm serious!"

"I'm certain you are," she responded, pushing away the misery that came with an all too familiar subject he would no doubt bring up, "Sirius, let's focus on—"

"I trust that you've come up with an end of year prank? I want Snivellus to—"

"Padfoot," she spoke up sharply. He knew what she wanted to talk about that much was obvious, but for some reason he wouldn't focus.

"How did that broom work out?"

"They didn't even give me the chance to join the team," she said, wondering if the auror was listening in. Looking down at her hands to better her focus as her frustration grew, she continued., "It's just as well, I don't know much about quidditch. I _love_ flying on it, though."

"Ask Hagrid for my old motorbike, it's even better than a broom." She nodded vigorously, looking away from her work. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead, "You'll name one of your sons after me, I hope?"

"Don't talk like that, Padfoot." The older wizard pouted as her giggles began again, "You'll be there to meet them."

"You're just saying that because I'm beautiful," She had to actually stop what her hands were doing to stop herself from laughing, "You don't think I'm pretty?"

"I'm afraid to answer that." she answered seriously, earning a gasp.

" _How dare you_!" They began laughing all over again. This was the first time that she wished he wasn't so easy to laugh with—He looked to the door and all of the emotion, all of the joy left his voice as he continued, "Stop trying to untie me, Jasmine."

Her green eyes met his grey again for another moment and she sighed, "Why? Sirius, you could—"

"I want you to live a good life, kiddo. There's a time and a place to fight a battle and now is not the time: _back down now_." The door opened with a bang, allowing in the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"Let's get this over with." Her nose crinkled for a moment as the proud man from the Prophet breezed by her. He was clad in intricately embroidered green robes and the aurors grabbed her to stand next to him. He didn't even look at her when he spoke to her, "I'm sure you're happy that justice is being served, girl?"

She didn't answer as she moved to a corner where they'd be able to see each other, struggling to push away the cold and dread that came with the beast that entered the room. They never broke eye contact.

 _A soul can disappear so quickly…_

"My word," The auror who shooed the dementor away with silver sparks stared in awe at Sirius's face. It took her a moment to see why since her tears had started in earnest, "He's _smiling_!"

"Black is— _was_ deranged," the minister said shortly before he left the room, chuckling. Jasmine left as soon as her wand was given back to her. She wouldn't stay there any longer than she had to now that Sirius was—she gulped and entered the nearest broom closet to sob.

" _Get over it, you idiot!"_ A voice in her head snarled with a hint of desperation. She ignored it for a just a moment. She coughed into her hand and saw a familiar coppery substance in her palm, " _Go to Gryffindor tower, take a shower, and go to sleep."_

She stood up and left the broom cupboard to do just as the voice bid.

* * *

Her mind had been nothing short of a paradise for him. Note the past tense.

The only other living thing in here had been asleep, growing more and more incoherent as he had siphoned off the knowledge and memories it had. It had been like him, but something had kept it asleep. He'd been siphoning the last of its memories when an eye had turned to look at him.

His paradise had grown dark into a darkened wasteland in that same instant. Being here had been like living in a maze-like garden filled with fine sun and fancy seating arrangements and— _OH MERLIN, IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE!_

But then it wasn't. Mercifully his host had gone to sleep. He sat next to her in the nightmare he had planned to give her, the one with the rabid Grim. He focused for a moment and the dog came bounding up to them. He sighed when she began to cry.

"Sirius's animagus form. I… I…" to his horror she began to cry harder and latched onto him. It took him a moment to realize what it was she was saying, "Thank you…"

So he had done something good for the situation. He just needed to get her off of him. With another thought the beast came closer and gave her hair a tug away from him. He sighed in relief when she began give her attention to the dog before her.

For a moment he was tempted to give her the dream he had had in mind.

' _Make her hurt,'_ an alien voice whispered and he was suddenly brought back to the problem that _would_ affect him in the worst way possible if he didn't figure out what had changed.

"Girl." He interrupted her mumblings and she looked back at him with a sunny smile that made his heart beat increase. "I want you to tell me about what Sirius made you feel and why."

It was an interesting reaction, but it was not what he needed. He put on the face he made to get what he wanted. But she knew this as well, it would seem. Since she turned back to rubbing the dog's belly. Her eyes went back to him, "I don't know what you'll get from this but I will answer."

She closed her eyes for a moment and he regretted the idea he'd had of plucking her teeth out that night at Grimmauld Place. She had a good set, he'd give her that. Her smile was as broad as she had ever allowed in his presence.

"I loved him, Tom. He was kind to me when no one else was, he gave me so many fond memories, you know? Oh, Tom…" Her smile was fading and he rushed to her side forcing her to look at him as he gave the order:

"Explain what's changed."

"He's gone forever! He was the first person to hug me, to show me that it is possible for someone to love someone as defective as me!"

 _Hugs…_

He wrapped his arms around her as she began to cry again, he would save his existence! But the crying didn't stop. He pulled away, " _Please_ ," she mewled. So he wrapped his arms around her again, waiting for her to calm down.

This was all so fascinating!

He had never used touch to get his way, so he had found it impossible to get people he had upset to get things done to his specifications—" _I love him…"_ —he gulped as a shiver went down his spine.

"Girl," he said after another moment of her tears, "What does—what does love feel like?"

"Look at me," Her eyes were red and puffy, the snot that had come from her nose made an even uglier sight. He focused on her green irises in the hopes of maintaining eye contact, "Love is a feeling. You can't describe it, it's something that you must feel to understand." He snarled and shoved her away in his irritation. He stepped towards her, his frustration paramount.

"What do you feel?" she asked in a way that made him pause and rethink what he had been about to do. He sighed and decided to play her game.

"I feel angry at you," A tree sprouted and pinned her to its trunk with a few well placed branches. She took a deep breath and maintained a smile.

"Humor me… why don't you explain love to me?" he sighed and thought for a moment and realized what she had meant earlier. The dog grew rabid and began a slow approach making Jasmine begin shaking. He smirked and snapped his fingers, vanishing dog.

"I will not punish you for doing something I myself could not do," He now knew the answer to his predicament now and that was what mattered.

If Jasmine felt love, the other horcrux would go back to sleep and would stop trying to eat him.

' _Who should replace that ruddy dog?'_

He stepped up to her as the tree began to release her, knelt down in front of her, and hugged her. With a kiss on her forehead he whispered against her forehead, "Wake up now."

The world darkened and he was once again running and searching out the best hiding spot from the beast that his future self had trapped in here.

He had a clue as to what was needed, and that was the first step to—there was a hot breath on his ear. He ran off in the other direction.

* * *

Jasmine stared at her empty plate, unwilling to fill it with anything.

" _Eat an apple,"_ Tom said from within her mind. She thought of nothing else as she went grab an apple as Tom had bid her to do. It disappeared with the rest of breakfast before she could quite reach it. She looked around, noting that she was the only one there and sighed in disappointment as she stood and headed off to the library.

"Jasmine?" She stared at the defense professor for a moment, tilting her head in thought. He had been nothing but cordial this year… at least until he had nearly bitten her. She looked into his eyes, "May I ask you some questions… in my office?"

"If you want, sir," She had heard that he had resigned. He may have appeared to be a nice man, but he had shown the opposite of it to her last night. He had been a friend of all three of them. Her mother, her father, and her godfather.

The last of which was gone thanks to him. They were at his office quicker than she wanted to be. He shut the door after himself and she saw that the room was cleaned out, with only a large tank in the corner.

"I suppose you want to thank me for helping put that man—"

"Thank you? _Thank you_?! You almost bit me, you horrible man! Have you lured me here to finish the job?" The hurt on his face was enough to put her in a good enough mood to do what she had promised herself she wouldn't do out of the goodness of her heart.

"I knew your parents, Jazzy—"

"Jazzy is something that only my family may call me," she sneered before she could stop herself, "I was bringing him food, you know. I have enough goodness in me to not let an _innocent_ man starve on the streets. He was never given a trial. They _threw_ him into Azkaban without a trial, he was _innocent_ when they Kissed him."

"He blew up that street filled with muggles, he killed your parents and our friend Peter!" Lupin snapped. Jasmine had heard that story _so_ many times.

" _That was Voldemort_!" She cried out, " _Sirius Black_ showed me pensieve memories of what he saw in my parents house that night. I saw my parents corpses in them, it was him who discovered them and it was him that signaled for aurors."

"Ja—?"

"Peter Pettigrew was going to be turned in last night, _Moony_. Thanks to you my parents are now unavenged and a death eater with nothing to lose is on the loose. Remember that _it was you_ who set Peter Pettigrew free and _it was you_ who took away the closest thing I've ever had to family."

She stormed out of the room before he could defend himself. Jasmine shuddered in shame when she realized that she had alienated the man that Sirius had told her would care for her in his stead no matter what.

With a sniffle she wondered—" _Go to the common room and get started on your homework."_

That was actually a good idea. If it meant not thinking about… Neville Longbottom stopped her from going further than the Great Hall—"Is Professor Lupin busy?"

"He's in his office," She kept walking after the short words, not sending him a second glance. Her green eyes looked around as her hand went through her dark hair.

" _Jasmine, do as I say!"_ Her stomach began twisting and she began walking twisting in her stomach continued knotting its way through her, sending pulse after pulse of uneasiness through her as she walked through the portrait hole. It took her a moment to realize why she felt as she did. To her everlasting anxiety the feeling grew worse.

It didn't occur to her what was bothering her until she had scribbled her name on top of her first essay—Tom had said her name. A slimy sensation coiled through her now as she struggled to find a good point… there it was: at least that monster hadn't desecrated the nickname Sirius had given her.

" _Don't you dare start crying,"_ his voice snarled from a distance, snapping her out of the depressed haze that had nearly overtaken her.

* * *

It was two nights later that she snuck through the school, through the secret passage to Honeydukes, through the village, and into the Shrieking Shack. Sirius had said they would live there after he was set free.

She lit the tip of her wand, looking for that book he had spoken about.

Sirius had told her about the Prankster's Grimoire many times, he had said it was more than spells. Many would love to know how they had pulled off their tricks without the help of the house elves he had said. They would love to know about their map of the school and how to replicate its abilities. It wasn't the prank spells she wanted it for, however.

They had mastered their animagus transformation before Hogwarts was over and that was something she wanted to do as well. She supposed Lupin would be of _some_ help and the moment she happened on the book they'd cursed to bite anyone who didn't know the password she'd felt the vestiges of temptation begin niggling its way into her mind. She squashed it down and scowled as she made her way to the basement, heading to the other tunnel that Sirius had told her about.

She smiled as she blew on the book cover, sending dust flying all over the tunnel. She stared at the cover, wishing that Sirius could see her in this moment. She resumed her trek to Hogwarts and was surprised at how easy it had been.

Jasmine had learned the _immobulus_ jinx along with many other spells on Sirius's insistence and, as she tapped the appropriate nub on the tree with her wand, she was glad he had pushed her as he had. No one bothered her when she entered the castle and she was in bed with the book in her arms before she knew it.

Her stomach clenched as Tom pulled at her consciousness, leaving her disappointed that he would ruin even this moment for her.

[***]

"Idiot girl," Tom spat as she began to cry, "Come over here." She didn't dare look at him, waiting for the pain that always came with his company. Tom sighed and spoke up again, surprising her into looking at him:

"What's your favorite color?" Her green eyes widened further when he _smiled_ at her. It wasn't that smirk that always adorned his face, no it was one that was trying to _hide_ his discomfort. She laughed for a whole two seconds before remembering who she was laughing at and what had happened the last time she had dared.

"I'm sorry!"

She knew that it was pointless to apologize, but she could swear that he wasn't as malicious when she usually did it—"What's your favorite color, girl?"

There was the bite she recognized! It wasn't something that she wanted in the first place, but it was something that she was used to, it wasn't—a hand touched her hair, making her look up. The smirk was back, "Please…"

"Stop crying, you moron," Her tears started up again and he sighed, wrapping his arms her. She couldn't help it when she cried harder, waiting desperately for something familiar to hit her. He grabbed her head between his and made her look up at him: "Tell me your favorite color!"

She stared at him for a long moment, trying to shake her head. She didn't want—" _Purple_." Jasmine stared up at him, for a long moment, surprised at the word that had burst from his lips, "Traditionally, purple is the color of royalty and nobility. When I was younger I wanted to be the long lost heir to _something_. I wanted riches and fame, so I chose the color purple as my favorite color since I began to hope that I was the prince of some kingdom."

She continued staring up at him, eyes wide at the blush on his face, "It… you're pink," she said. Her eyes widened, "I didn't know that shade of pink was possible on human skin."

His eyes began to widen before his cheeks darkened further, she giggled, "You look nicer like this."

She smiled _at_ him as he released her from her dream scape.

* * *

 _The remainder of her Hogwarts days were spent ruminating on what could have been—_ "We need to cut the girl's hair again, don't we?"

She struggled to ignore her relatives, having resolved to stop crying for Sirius's sake— _yellow teeth shined down at her in a wide grin as he showed her the right steps to the dance with so much energy_ —Uncle Vernon hummed absently as he pulled up to Privet Drive. She blinked when he did speak up, "At least you don't have to work as hard now that she's here."

Jasmine stared as Aunt Petunia began speaking directly to her, "We want the annual's replanted by dinner, girl."

She stared at her for another moment, waiting for Uncle Vernon to unlock the doors and open the boot of the car. When he did so she left the car, "Didn't you hear your aunt, girl?"

"If your parenting skills were better," Jasmine ran a hand through her shoulder length hair, grinning up at him and daring him to say something in front of the neighbors, "I'd be more inclined to listen."

She grabbed her trunk, pre-enchanted with a feather light charm, and walked into their house where an out of breath Dudley was waiting to taunt her.

His eyes widened as he looked her over before he left her alone for the time being. She wondered whether it was the way she glared at him or the way her wand was in her hand and ready to cast some of the dark magic she had learned over Easter break behind Sirius's house.

She gulped and shoved the wand back into its holster, heading up the stairs to her room.

Jasmine heard her aunt and uncle speaking, most likely plotting a way to put her back to work—Jasmine gulped as she caught sight of the cold green eyes in the cracked mirror. She averted her eyes immediately, looking around the room and sighing.

"Home sweet home," she whispered as she sat down on the lumpy bed; she moved to lay down on her back and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Back so soon?" Jasmine stared at the four stone walls she found herself sitting in. There were two stairs leading downwards. The room was large, filled with green furniture that had accents of silver and—"Come over here, girl."

Tom's voice wasn't set with its usual bite but… he hadn't hurt her in the last dream they'd been sat in together so now—"Yes, Tom."

She would follow his voice and—as the world around her seemed to wobble in its existence—she would accept his punishment. She went down the hallway where his voice had come from. Her steps were faltering with each one she took.

"Good, you've arrived," He was sitting on the floor next to a fireplace that emitted a blue light that made the room seem like it was underwater. Her eyes widened as he gave her a smile that left her weaker than ever, "You're quite flushed, are you alright?"

She nodded, "Ye—yes, Tom."

"If you're going to speak to me, don't stutter," She flinched at his sharp tone and nodded. He took a deep breath, and spoke up again, "Sit with me."

"What will we be doing today?" Why did her voice have to shake like the rest of her body? Tom didn't comment on it, waiting for her to sit down across from him.

" _You're_ going to learn how to play chess and _I_ will be teaching you," She sat down and stared at the box between them, "We're going to start with the proper setup."

* * *

"You've made breakfast," Aunt Petunia wasn't questioning Jasmine's motives so she ignored the evil thoughts that Tom was throwing around in her mind. Tom had suggested that she make breakfast, so she had and had ignored the hisses that followed.

He hadn't spoken since then, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he started putting her down. She took a bite into her pancakes and sighed in contentment. Dudley sat down across from her, frowning at the sight of her.

"Mummy, the freak is eating our food!" She sighed, biting down the annoyance as she looked at Aunt Petunia, daring her to say something against it.

There was another three seconds of hard silence before Aunt Petunia backed down and turned towards her son.

"She cooked it, Diddy. Even freaks deserve a reward," Aunt Petunia simpered. Jasmine took another pointed bite of the bacon that _she_ had cooked, to Jasmine the horse faced woman sneered, "Eat before your uncle comes down."

She finished up soon after and washed her plate, "Potter," Dudley interrupted her trek before she could leave. She looked at him the same way she had looked at Aunt Petunia. He closed his eyes for a second, "What happened?"

It was unusual for them to show any interest in her life in a good way, "My—my godfather is de—gone."

"Sirius Black died?" Dudley began to laugh at Aunt Petunia's exclamation. The Jasmine of the past would have burst into tears at the way they were looking at her.

"What kind of name is that?!" He shouted in his laughter, "Was he so black that—that he—he had to—" He trailed off, clearly trying to make it more insulting.

"Sirius is a star, Dursley," she spat with as much venom she could muster. It must not have been enough, since Dudley's laughter grew louder, his chins were jiggling as he began to wheeze.

"I've never heard of him."

"He was a wizard who escaped from prison," His smirk sent a shiver down her spine as she backed away from him.

"He's dead now, can't have been very serious about helping us get rid of you." Jasmine had nothing to say to that and shook her head. She bolted when Aunt Petunia began to laugh. In her teary state she missed her uncle coming down the stairs.

She was a good person—or so Sirius had said—but that didn't mean she had enough goodness in her to stop herself from hurting them for what had been said. When she heard the bubbling laughter from beneath her floorboards she began to plot.

There was no way she could use a spell on them, having learned from Sirius that spelling muggles and their things was wrong both legally and morally. Jasmine unlocked her trunk and began looking through it, hoping for _some_ sort of inspiration. When she gave up and looked out at their pristine backyard, she grinned.

Her grin disappeared a moment later.

' _Tom,'_ She had once promised herself she would not do what she was about to do. He was a monster who would use anything and everything she gave him against her— _the memory of bark like laughter echoed in her ears_ —she firmed her resolve and swallowed her pride, ' _I need your help.'_

" _A favor for a favor,"_ he said before she could say what she needed.

* * *

 **I edited in some linebreaks as of 3/11/2019 since fanfiction deleted the middle ones. I am looking for a beta.**


	2. Chapter 2

"I can cook a full English breakfast." Jasmine muttered aloud. Her hands shook slightly. Tom said to let the heat do the work, to hold the ladle in place while it bubbled. She looked down at the bubbly potion, holding her ladle in place, just like Tom said to do.

The cauldron simmered, mocking her, and she wondered if she was even still enough for this— _"Cooking and potions are two different things, you imbecile. Now give it one stir clockwise and let it cool for five minutes."_

"What's the difference?" she muttered as she sat down on the kitchen chair. The potion bubbled, much like the sodas Dudley loved so much. The scent of grapes filled the kitchen.

 _"Don't even think_ _about it!"_ His scathing tone brought her back to the present and she sat back down. Why did the urge to taste it overcome her? _"If you must know cooking isn't delicate enough to equate to potions. Potionsrequire a discipline that you lack. You cannot simply throw the ingredients in as you please. Once you start, you must—take it off of the stove, now."_

She did so and hobbled with the cauldron, careful not to spill a drop. She'd left the door open for the next phase of her— _Tom's really_ —plan.

She waited just a moment, tapping her foot in thought. How did one use this?

 _"It's a potion used by wizards to take care of any unwanted hair, it must be washed away immediately after its_ application, _since it will burn like a fire crabs tail end after two minutes. As you will see today, it can also have other uses. I believe your aunt has gloves that will suit our purposes?"_

She smiled for the first time since Sirius was—even if it was out of spite she had smiled. A warmth filled her as she exited again, this time with the yellow gloves. Would the rubber gloves survive this potion? She hoped they would, she really wanted to see those rose bushes she spent her childhood getting pricked upon wither away into nothing.

That was where she started, throwing a glob of the hardening potion onto the bush. She watched for only a moment, surprised at how quickly the plant disappeared where the potion touched.

 _"It'll only be good for another hour, girl."_

She moved onto the daisies that she had planted just the year before and—Dudley smirked as he stomped over them—she'd done it no less than three times. She threw a glob over them, her smile widening. When her eyes reached the blue clematis flowers that were the first she'd ever planted her smile grew into a full blown grin.

 _'Aunt Petunia made me replant them so many times.'_

Jasmine threw out a lot. She smirked at the faces they'd make in the morning. She hesitated on the orchid, still in that same pot it had been in when she'd planted it— _Aunt Petunia's screeching laughter rang through her ears_ —she hesitated no more, giving the delicate plant just a few drops.

It withered into nothing.

Jasmine moved on to the backyard, staring at it, at how pristine it looked. _"I wonder how many hours she put into this?"_

She laughed and got to work, spreading the paste into unsightly splotches. Her green eyes roamed the dead splotches of dirt with glee when she was done just a few moments later.

Jasmine didn't bother cleaning out her cauldron, leaving it at the foot of her bed on top of her trunk. She tossed the gloves out the window, narrowly missing the owl formerly known as Holly

"I've really got to find a name you like, don't I?" The owl stared back, daring her to try something she didn't like now that Jasmine couldn't use magic. After a long moment of staring, the owl took off again.

Jasmine closed her eyes with a yawn as she laid down on her back, grimacing at the pain in her arms. Her eyes snapped open when a violent snort came from Dudley's room. She stared at the ceiling of her room and frowned.

What would they do tomorrow when they saw what she did?

The Dursleys—Aunt Petunia in particular—had a streak of pettiness a mile wide. Of course, the worst her aunt had ever done was make her clean the whole house in one day without protection from the dangerous chemicals that she gave her.

Uncle Vernon was more brawn than brains and had only ever cuffed her hard enough to make her whimper at the impact.

Jasmine smiled, doubting that the Dursleys could ever be worse than Tom.

"Girl!"

Darkness surrounded her. Tom appeared a moment later, pulling an odd face she'd never seen on him before. It was gone quicker than she could decipher it.

From his feet, a world began to spin into a creation.

Green grass sprung to life and was soft on her feet. In the distance, sunflowers and daffodils sprouted. She stared at them when the warmth of the sun began to beat down on her.

She looked at Tom, waiting for the flaw of this lovely world he had created for them. He was walking towards a shimmering lake. Jasmine rushed to follow him when a chill ran up her spine.

Would she have to endure dementors this time?

"What are we going to do today, I wonder?"

A small scream escaped her. The last time he had asked her that question was their first dream together. He interrupted her recurring thoughts of that phoenix from her nightmares. Tom spoke up.

"Let's play chess!"

A gazebo appeared with a silver and gold chess set prepared. Tom moved forward and sat on a silver stool, in front of the silver pieces. She sat opposite of him and examined the board between them. "Do you remember how?"

With a nod, she grabbed her knight and moved it in front of a pawn.

* * *

Jasmine smiled and stretched. Her eyes wandered to the window and she swore the birds were chirping. When she finally stood from her bed her cauldron was still out and her door was still open.

Her relatives must have taken a late day or something. She had expected a rude awakening, something along the lines of the usual round of screaming that followed something her relatives deemed unnatural.

She looked out the window, smiling at the backyard her window faced. This… this was the perfect vengeance for what they'd done!

Laughter bubbled from her throat as she made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"So it begins." She looked over the pristine bathroom. Her things, provided each year by the Dursleys, were in the trash.

With a sinking heart, she knew that they had only gotten started.

Jasmine headed towards the stairs, where Dudley awaited her.

"Mum sent dad to work." He had a wide grin, "She didn't want him to do this—"

 _CRACK_

She saw stars.

She came to a few moments later, panting as she realized that he had hit her more than once.

"I decided to do it for him." He chuckled for a moment, "I sure showed you the old one-two, eh…? Anyway, mum has a surprise for you in the kitchen."

"Wash your hands before you go, Dudley!"

 _'He boxes now, right?'_

She struggled to her feet and ignored the running water, deciding to get whatever harsh words her aunt had for her out of the way so she could set up on revising her notes. When she made her way to the kitchen, she walked faster to avoid her reflection.

It was getting harder to keep her left eye open.

Jasmine opened the door and was disappointed to see that the kitchen looked as clean as ever. The only thing that seemed out of place was her rumpled aunt, who was hunched over a mug of steaming coffee, "What do you want, Aunt Petunia?"

"First, I want you to take this." She slid a slip of paper onto the table towards her. Jasmine sighed, "Take it before I burn it, Freak!"

Jasmine jumped slightly before following the orders and picked up the paper— _parchment_!

She held it to her face and began to read:

 _Petunia,_

 _I will not mince words._

 _Lily and James are dead and their daughter is all that is left of them. I know that you have a son of your own but I was hoping that you could watch over my goddaughter until I finish taking care of some things._

 _I will be back,_

 _Sirius Black_

She read the letter again and again with a growing smile.

He hadn't abandoned her!

 _I will be back._

Sirius hadn't meant to abandon her to them, if it wasn't for Pettigrew—"Get out of here, you freak!"

Petunia's shout shocked her from the growing happiness.

"We never wanted you here—never! I should have followed my first instinct and drowned you when I had the chance." Aunt Petunia's voice grew gutarol as she spoke. "It was Vernon that told me that it would only be one night. Oh! I wish I left you out there! My sister, your mother at least had enough sense not to bite the hand that fed her.

"We didn't have to take you in, we didn't have to keep you. We fed you, we clothed you, and put up with your freakishness for years! I want you gone!" Something in the back of her mind was crying out in pain, leaving her clutching her forehead where her lightning scar was sizzling. Somehow, it had nothing to do with Aunt Petunia's screeching, "When you leave, I want just one favor: Never come back!"

There was a cold creeping from her chest,and spreading through her body. Her head grew light as she prepared her succinct response,

"I'll be glad to." she said in a hoarse voice. She gasped when the air around her grew cold as though she had been ripped from a lifelong cocoon of warmth. "I'll pack my things, see you never."

"One more thing—look at me!" When she willed herself to do it, Aunt Petunia spoke with such pride: "I'm glad you're leaving."

Her head exploded in pain and she did her best not to show it.

"Very Dursley of you."

She squeezed the parchment in her palm and wondered if she would have stayed here in the first place.

By the time she was ready to summon the Knight Bus her destination had her smiling despite her pained face.

"Grimmauld Place in London, please."

* * *

She passed her time rereading the letter, listening to the comings and goings around her with half an ear. No one seemed interesting in talking to her, but that was nothing new.

"Grimmauld Place!" The conductor's call cut sharply and she jumped up from her seat, grabbing her trunk as she went. The bus was off as soon as both of her feet were on the ground.

It was a short walk to her godfather's house. Before walking up the steps, Jasmine took a few deep breaths and squared back her shoulders. If she stepped through the front door with confidence, she would remain confident.

She reached for the doorknob and hesitated for just another moment. When she entered the dank house, the floors were still grimy, the house elf heads were up and looking pleased at their deaths but it was far from silent.

"The halfblood's back!"

There was an outraged chorus from the portraits that resided in twelve Grimmauld Place. Her spell was gone? Kreacher worked fast.

"Kreacher!" He didn't hesitate to respond to her summons, letting her know that Sirius had passed on.

"Halfblood Mistress calls?" Kreacher spewed the question as though he wished it were a curse. Sirius had listed off some carefully worded orders before he had gone to Hogwarts, she realized. There was a growl from within her mind and from her stomach. She forced herself to focus on reality.

She idly wondered what kind of death the Ministry had given her godfather's body…

"Don't think about that!"

"Is there fresh food in the pantry?" She maintained eye contact, daring the house elf to avoid the question. She'd address the talking portraits later.

"Yes, Halfblood Mistress." The wrinkled being's face dawned into horror before he stumbled over himself to stay her ire, "I is preparing Halfblood Mistress's—"

"No, clean this filthy house!" He didn't listen right away, staring at her with his mouth agape. His bulbous eyes seemed wider than they should have been. With a sigh, she pointed to her trunk, "If my room and things aren't jinxed in any way, shape, or form I'll let you cook dinner. If it is, you'll be joining me for dinner."

He squeaked, frozen for another moment before he disappeared with her things.

Fond memories were evoked from his reaction.

 _'Sirius liked to torture him with me…'_ She had been trying a kind hand when she had offered to allow him some food, to eat with them like an equal. He had fainted and Sirius had explained the basics of house elves during that time of blissful silence.

She got to work with what she had, deciding to cook up some steamed apples.

"Jazzy!" Her good eye widened in horror at what she found behind the stove that she'd been about to light. The portrait of her godfather was sat there, propped up just behind the stove.

"What are you doing back there?" She screeched in horror before she pulled out her wand and levitated him out onto a chair with a shouted spell. The portrait laughed in his relief with her.

"Oh thank Merlin, you've saved me! The little monster was going to burn me!" She gasped and knew immediately that she would be making an extra plate for lunch.

"I'll set him straight," she promised with a scowl. He squinted his eyes at her and she wondered if the tears she was trying to hold back were shining up her eyes.

"Did you get into a fight with a quintaped? What happened to your face?" She turned away with a grimace. Sirius groaned, "I don't suppose it was those muggles, was it?"

"It was."

"There are some healing salves in the cupboard under the sink." She took the dusty pot to the sink and did indeed find some carefully labeled jars. Sirius sighed, "You used to hurt yourself in your sleep because of… that guy, so I made them for this summer."

She didn't answer right away, pulling out one that said Face and opened it, "I didn't know that you knew any potions." Sirius chuckled as she dabbed the contents onto her face.

"Potions were very important to our pranks, did you ever get our grimoire?" She grinned at him and nodded, "That's my girl! Now, what are you going to eat today?"

"After I clean the kitchen utensils I need the most…? Steamed apples with cinnamon." Jasmine paused as she caught sight of the look on his face, "Please don't make me laugh!"

"Alas, I can't cast a simple tickling charm." As Sirius's laments continued, she washed the dishes. His complaints grew more and more outlandish, so much so that she was laughing by the time the table was properly set, "What's with the second plate?"

"Kreacher!" Sirius whistled as the house elf appeared without hesitation. His ears drooped as soon as he caught sight of the two plates on the table. Jasmine smiled sweetly, "Do you know why I'm making you do this?"

"Halfblood mistress is punishing Kreacher," the house elf started. He gave a strangled gasp as she pulled out his chair, throwing himself at her feet and sobbing as though she were offering him clothes, "Please, halfblood mistress! Please don't shame Kreacher anymore!"

"Get up."

He did as she bid, "Kreacher is—"

"I don't care!" Here is where she pointed to his seat, "I want you to sit here and stay here until your plate is empty. I'll be taking care of myself until I go back to Hogwarts if it's not all gone when I come back."

She waited for a whole minute before he crawled forward and climbed onto the chair, staring down at his plate; she sat down in the seat across from him. She knew better then to wait for him to take the first bite.

Jasmine finished quickly, having only sliced up one apple for herself To taunt him further she picked up her plate and took it to the sink. He whimpered over the sound of the running water she used to wash her hands. "If you finish quickly, I might let you wash the dishes when you're done."

She turned off the tap and levitated the portrait of her godfather out of the room.

"Oh yes…" her godfather purred as she walked them out of the kitchen. She stared at the glowering portrait. Walburga Black was a far cry from the irrational mess that she had been each time they had spoken, as though the ill-tempered portrait knew that there was nothing to be said, "Any last words, mother?"

"I died looking better than you do now." The portrait gave them both a sinister smile that grew sweet and girlish. Jasmine shuddered at how unnatural it looked on her. "You'll both enjoy the surprise that I placed in my canvas, I'm sure."

Sirius hummed and cleared his throat.

"Don't listen to her, Jazzy. I know her, she just wants to save herself." His words did not soothe her as they would have if she hadn't been focusing on the wand movements for the spell that Sirius had drilled into her head, "Alright, relax your shoulders a bit, Transfiguration is looser than charms—like that! Do it now!"

" _Mutare Loca_!"

She closed her eyes as she cast it and took a step back waiting for Sirius to say something, anything to let her know that she had succeeded.

"Open your eyes, child! Don't you dare stand in my foyer, looking like a fool!" She jerked her head to the voice of Walburga, who was in the frame that Sirius had been in. The way her face was pinched let Jasmine know that Sirius was fine.

She was still too scared to look, the memories of her early failures coursing through her mind.

"You did good, Jazzy." Sirius said after a moment of silence, sounding oddly smug, "I want you to cast one more spell for me, alright?"

She turned her head slowly, staring at her godfather— "Point your wand at her and say: Praesidium Revelare."

Jasmine did as Sirius bid, holding her breath and waiting for the blaze of fire.

She blinked and released her breath after a full minute later when nothing happened. As she examined her wand, a single thought coursed through her mind.

"Did I cast it right, Sirius?" When he didn't answer, Jasmine looked away from the smirking witch and into the ragge-filled wizard's eyes.

"Change of plans," he growled, sounding almost bestial as he spoke. He began to shake and Jasmine waited, having never seen him so angry before. He took a few calming breaths, "Find a place to put her, Jazzy. Don't destroy her unless something extreme happens, got it?"

"Sirius—"

"What could possibly cause such an adorable child of mud to destroy someone as lovely as I?"

"That gullet of yours needs a good silencing!" He looked at Jasmine with pleading eyes, "Just make sure that she stays away from me."

"I'll think of something, Sirius. Wingardium Leviosa!" The basic charm worked like it always did and, when she brought the portrait into the kitchen, she was pleased that Kreacher hadn't seemed to have thought a way around her orders—until she saw the mess on the floor. "Oh, Kreacher!"

The house elf was slimier than any living Slytherin that she had ever run into and— "My plate is being empty, halfblood mistress."

He certainly smirked better than one as well.

"Well, I suppose I'll be picking up the mess you made, won't I?"

He screeched and waved his hands at the apples on the floor, vanishing them immediately.

"I say, I never got a scream quite like that from him. Such a creative beast you must be!" Jasmine examined the floating portrait as she struggled to think up a means of punishing her. "Kreacher—!"

"Take her to wherever it is you stay and come back, we need to talk." His already large eyes boggled further as the portrait began screaming her refusal. He didn't move, shaking. "Take her now and come back immediately!"

With a pop he appeared before the portrait and gripped the portrait from the bottom. He was back within half a second.

"This is the fastest you've carried out an order since I've met you," Jasmine said with a frown, "keep at it while you're cleaning the kitchen."

"Yes, halfblood mistress." he said reverently as Jasmine walked to her seat and watched the house elf work on scrubbing the floor for another moment.

"Kreacher, did you like my present to you?" He froze and turned his neck to her slowly. His eyes were wide in fear as she smiled sweetly, "Walburga is something I will take away from you if you ever displease me. How loud do you think a portrait screams when you light it on fire?"

He began to shake as Jasmine stood up, "I is working for the halfblood mistress." She didn't acknowledge him as she moved around him to get to the kitchen door.

"Get back to work, I won't be eating your food if it's still filthy in here when I come back!" She paused for another moment at the door, "I'll be in the library, come get me when you've made me dinner."

She jumped slightly just as she reached the open door of the library, as a familiar voice whispered to her.

 _"About my favor, girl…"_

Jasmine hadn't forgotten that Tom was still in her head, oh no. It was the way he had said his words.

"Yes, Tom?" His voice was meek as she struggled to hear him.

 _"I want you to study blood magic. Ask whichever portrait is in the library where you can find a book so you don't have an excuse."_

She jerked her head towards the frame that held only a single _beautiful_ witch. She smiled at Jasmine, a certain aura of daintiness surrounded the portrait and left her breathless.

"Where are the books on blood magic, ma'am?"

"My name is Cassiopeia, thank you for asking. I wasn't aware that mudbloods could read French." The portrait maintained her pleasant smile, though Jasmine knew that it was to hide the fact that she was being spoken down to.

Jasmine decided to let it go.

"French?" Cassiopeia giggled.

"Most of our collection came from the Malfoy and Lestrange families as a dowry for their sons. Please, dear, call me Cass."

"Ye—yes, Cass. Where may I find them?"

She supposed she could go out into muggle London and find a bookshop where she could buy a French-to-English dictionary…

"I doubt that you will be able to read them on your own. Why don't you read them outloud? I'll translate." When Cass spoke up in that sweet voice of hers Jasmine blinked in surprise, before nodding.

That saved her the pounds and it very well saved her the trip. With a smile, Jasmine decided to introduce herself. "I'm Jasmine Lily Potter, thank you for your help."

Cassiopeia giggled.

"Mudblood or no, I shan't stand in the way of the next Dark Lady." Jasmine flinched at the crude word, "I believe _Ensanglanté_ is the best book for beginners. The book isn't cursed from what I remember."

The witch burst into a heavy fit of giggles while Jasmine waited for further instruction, "Where may I find it, Cass?"

"I believe… the book is green. Hmm… it should be in the silver room. Put your wand down somewhere before you enter, the books in there are sensitive to magic." Jasmine nodded again and did as the portrait bid. Jasmine gave her a smile which was returned, "Look for a lime colored book, dear!"

Walking through the many shelves, a collection built over the centuries, which allowed these books to survive any prosecution that came from the masses of mud—"Stop it, Tom."

He hummed as she reached the large double doors that were kept together by a mere hook. She flicked the hook off of the loop and was forced to step back at the burst of stale air that blew by her.

She swallowed when a chandelier lit up the room, just bright enough to hide nothing but just dim enough to keep the light from bouncing off of the metal shelves obnoxiously.

With a gulp, she stepped into the dark room.

* * *

"What'd you learn?" Sirius wasn't as mad as she thought he'd be. In fact, he seemed to be stifling his laughter as she rubbed the disinfecting salves onto the many papercuts she had gotten from those monstrosities.

"Don't trust your family." She didn't mean to sound as curt as she had, but that look on his face…

"Good, good." He laughed for a moment, "That's why I banned you from the silver room. Now, your punishment is to put them all to sleep again."

She scowled as she flexed her tender hands—"I don't suppose you can tell me _how_?"

Sirius shook his head, "I was fifteen when I ran away from home, Jasmine. My family may have been proud of their dark interests, but they wouldn't let children near a cursed book."

"Why did Cassiopeia tell me to go in there?"

"I don't know. But… I'm sure you'll find a way to do it." Sirius raised a hand to stall her complaints, "If you leave them active, they'll escape and destroy everything within reach."

She squared her shoulders, "Do you think any of them will help me?"

"The best you can do is ask around." He answered with a shrug, "Also, do tell me what you're doing here before you found out about my Will?"

"Well—"

"Later; I want those books away— _now_." She walked away from him, heading back up to the library.

* * *

It took her all of fifteen minutes of slow walking to make it back to the library. Her eyes wandered the walls—was the entirety of the Black family here?!

She sucked in a breath and stepped up to the large congregation of smirking portraits.

"Ex—excuse me, umm—"

 _POP_

Kreacher appeared a moment later, interrupting her stutters, "I is finished with the halfblood mistress's dinner."

"I'm sorry, Kreacher," She forced a smile for the little elf when she saw the desperation in his eyes. "I can't eat now, I have to put the books in the silver room back to sleep."

"Kreacher is doing it! Little Mistress will be's going down to kitchen to eat!"

"Thank you, Kreacher." She rushed from the room without looking beyond the unusual cast to his face.

* * *

She was back in the library, afraid to go to sleep lest Tom punish her for taking too long. As this was a personal collection, there wasn't a definite way to find anything and she was sure that the portraits watching her wouldn't give her the answer under threat of fire.

Jasmine sighed and rubbed her tired eyes.

Kreacher was holding out a book, and—"What are you doing here?"

"Kreacher is giving halfblood mistress book on blood magic."

"Go prepare some tea for me," She muttered, annoyed at herself for not thinking of asking Kreacher.

"I told you that _in confidence_ , Druella!"

As she began looking over the books, surprised that they weren't in French, she did her best to ignore the argument Cassiopeia began with the blond witch that had entered her frame.

" _You know I have a weakness for the pitiful_!" Jasmine jumped just a pinch at the nasally shout.

"I can _hear_ you." Jasmine called.

"Go to the silver room and stay there!" Cassiopeia snipped back, making Jasmine lose her patience.

"Go away!" To her surprise, they listened without a fuss. Despite the odd disappointment that filled her dropping stomach, her eyes began to wander the now empty library. Something glittered from the corner of her eye and she could swear that it was—it was…

 _"Start_ _reading,"_ Tom said, startling her from her trance.

* * *

 **I updated this to add line breaks for all users.**


	3. Chapter 3

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good!"

With a loud click, the book unlocked and opened to a blank page. A sloppily written set of words scribbled itself into existence.

 _So you solemnly swear you're up to no good, eh? The secret you're searching for is written in the fine print._

A red dot appeared and she leaned inwards for a better look. The dot itself wasn't anything special and, as she peered closer, she wondered what the fine print actually was.

A chill coursed through her and she was just barely quick enough to back out of the book's reach as it slammed shut. The book opened to the same page again, this time reading:

 _A tap and a magic word are all it takes, you know._

She blinked and thought for a moment and, against her better judgement she reached downwards with a delicate finger, tapping the page with a gentleness as she uttered the only magic word she knew.

"Please?"

Instead of revealing the text, it rolled away and shut with a click. Jasmine huffed in reproach and prepared for bed.

* * *

Jasmine didn't dare open the book again and instead she found herself glaring at the chess set in front of her.

Today was not another boring day at Grimmauld Place, she usually spent her time with Sirius's portrait or read in the library. Her mind had yearned for something more this morning— _Kreacher was winning_.

Breathing became harder at the realization. She was being beaten at chess by a _house elf_.

"You say check." Jasmine couldn't help but say. The house elf was polishing her "dead" chess pieces when he cooed with joy:

" _Check_ …" Okay, now _that_ was a purr. He was _purring_! She looked over the board and realized exactly how she could save face.

"These pieces are too filthy for me to want to play anymore, Kreacher. Clean them and put them away. _I'm_ going to the library. Make me something light for lunch, I'm going out today."

Standing up and leaving the aptly labeled chess room, she went further down the hall and past the music room.

Against her better judgement, she chose that moment to take a detour. Turning around and entering, she sneezed.

A garish chandelier lit up overhead and she stared, wide eyed, at the instruments that must have had inches upon inches of dust. In the center of it all, she found the one instrument, from that grand piano to the various harps and violins, that was spotless.

She tilted her head, reaching out and plucking a string.

A heavenly note caressed her ears—"That one was Walburga's favorite…"

A whisper was all she had heard and she swayed in place, ready to faint. Was the house making her mad?

"Hello?"

Maybe she needed to go outside and get some fresh air?

"Hello indeed, young Jasmine Potter."

"Who's there? How do you know my name?" Her eyes wandered the walls, searching for what _must_ have been a portrait.

She found none.

"Do you think this house is silent? Even in death I can hear him." The masculine voice chuckled, "Please, Miss Potter, bend down and look under the dulcimer."

She looked underneath the instrument she had plucked, hoping that it was the right one.

"You've got a lovely rear!" He laughed good and hard, "My father would _kill_ me for saying it, but it's not like he can hit me from his _portrait_!"

He continued laughing and she took the time to follow the sound of his voice, only to stop in front of a statue of a woman.

"How are you in this statue?"

"Miss Potter… I _am_ the statue." This time the voice was feminine. "Take a gander at this, my lovely. It is not just in portraits that we stay behind. I'm Elladora Black the first and last Songstress from my family."

Jasmine was silent, wondering _how_ anyone from this family could be so… friendly. She examined the statue on the pillow.

It was a petite witch seated on a throne. She was almost doll-like with her details.

"Anyway, I see you've come to learn how to protect yourself, correct?"

"Protect…?"

"From those pesky drow! They feed exclusively from a witch's bone marrow and nothing but a sweet song can destroy them. They don't even starve, you know? Also, Cornish Pixies are easier to take down with the right tune. _I'm_ the one who found that out, you know?"

"You say _you know_ a lot."

"But I do! I _am_ my father's daughter! He was a headmaster at Hogwarts!"

"About this protection…?" Jasmine trailed off as the statue's lips began to move.

"I'll teach you to play anything you want."

"But…"

"You know… your hands are perfect for plucking and you look like you can stand there… the dulcimer it is!"

"I don't…"

"Any questions?"

"How'd you make your voice so… manly?"

"My dear, that's not the only talent my voice has. If I were alive I'd have your lips dribbling like a thirsty puppy—Oi! I wasn't done!"

Jasmine left the room. Her eyes widened when she heard something rustle in a room she had passed. She turned around, noting that there were no doors, just a set of drapes—" _It would be in your best interest to keep your wand out, little girl."_

His words left no room for argument and she wouldn't have disagreed anyway. She lifted her wand and cast the lighting charm. Inside was nothing more than a locket in an iron cage.

As she got closer, Jasmine's eyes wandered the scorched walls and the torn rugs and curtains. Did it hold a dangerous beast inside?

Her eyes jerked to the locket that Kreacher was now holding, cradling it to his chest.

"What's in it, Kreacher?"

"Something bad, Halfblood Mistress, something that is being very vile and evil."

" _Find out where he got it from."_ She rubbed her aching scar and smiled at him.

"Where did you get it from?" Kreacher stayed silent for a moment, "Tell me its story."

"It is being the locket of Salazar Slytherin and it is being a _very_ important artifact of evil dark wizard." Sickened, she barely relayed Tom's next command.

"Destroy it." It was then that Kreacher began to cry. She listened to his story all the way to his master's penance before she stopped him with a gasp—" _There are more."_

"There are more?!" Her shriek was enough to make the house elf pop away with the locket.

" _I had certain plans to celebrate after Hogwarts…"_

Tom stopped there, refusing to say anything else on the subject. It was better to keep it out of sight and out of mind for now, she mused. She didn't have enough knowledge on whatever magic it was that made such things possible.

She shivered and made her way to the library.

* * *

After doing some light reading and eating lunch, she made the walk to the Leaky Cauldron, a place she had walked to with Sirius countless times. She sat at a table to rest her feet.

Listening to the comings and goings of any place was easy when you were a nobody…

Some wizards were arguing about a cup of some sort, something about Ireland…

"… _A good team of chasers is only needed with a crud keeper and that would be that bloke, Barry Ryan."_

" _Yeah, but we're the best at everything anyway—there's no way them Bulgarians'll beat us!"_

A murmur of assent that went up around the pub as national pride won out—" _My money is, and always will be, on our Irish National Team."_

The barman, Tom, cleared his throat from next to her, "You got money for that seat, missy?"

She didn't look at him as she stood up, wincing slightly at the pain that shot up from her soles and through her back. She had a good deal of shopping to do, anyway.

She went to Gringotts first, making a withdrawal of both pounds and galleons.

[***]

Shopping was a good deal more enjoyable when there was no one else to shop for. Her trip to the grocery store was especially fun.

" _How are you having this much fun?"_ Jasmine nearly dropped the melons she'd been bouncing in her hands to make comparisons, " _I must understand."_

Jasmine stifled her giggles at the odd tone from him and she whispered out loud, " _Tonight_."

She made her choice in melon immediately after and placed them in the cart. There was a music shop across the street and… there was _no way_ she was going to buy another instrument for the music room.

Shaking her head as she paid for her food in cash, she immediately headed to the exit and to her home.

* * *

She sighed in relief when her bags were dropped at her side.

Hmm…

Kreacher had at least taken care of the dust that had been gliding around the foyer the first time she had entered. She couldn't even bring herself to do more than nod to her godfather. His eyes narrowed and she froze.

"Jasmine, have you been doing those exercises we spoke about?" He smiled when her cheeks grew inflamed; she was left wondering how a portrait could shame her so. She didn't bother to come up with an excuse.

"I… stopped…" Despite the low volume, it was the loudest thing in the room before Sirius snickered.

"You're in for hell when you start again, Jazzy. Did you enjoy your walk?" There was a pause and Jasmine gave in.

"My feet hurt—"

"Okay! You're going to start now. Go up to the Records room and work until you're ready to pass out."

She scowled to herself, wondering how a portrait could make her feel like such a child.

* * *

"I see you're hellbent on doing the impossible." She stared up at Tom, waiting for him to elaborate. He wasn't looking at her and she realized that she was laying down on some stone. She turned her head to look in the direction he was looking and realized that she was in the Chamber of Secrets again.

She scrambled to her feet, prepared to run.

"I thought an indoor place would be nice to practice," He started, not paying her trembling form any mind, "Come."

She released her breath and began to follow him. The hall he was leading her through was a long one, getting more and more cramped until they reached a door.

"What are we doing here?" She asked after they stood there for a time.

"I thought that I'd have something when we got here, actually."

Jasmine released a laugh before covering her mouth in horror. Oh Merlin, she had laughed at him again!

 _Clawed hands of many sizes tore their way up and down her skin, his dark eyes peered at her with malice and unhidden hatred._

Tom cleared his throat, distracting her.

"What do you like about flying?"

The ground beneath them gave way and they were standing in a field of green grass. She shook her head, wondering what would come of this. Would another flock of birds come and rip her limb from limb like…? Tom cleared his throat again.

"I like the freedom."

Tom's eyes bore into hers and she was left dizzy.

"I prefered books for finding my freedom. I see you're expecting a punishment." He took a step towards her holding out his hand, "You passed out in the dancing room. Your back's going to hurt in a way that makes me think you've punished yourself enough."

A nervous giggle escaped from her, "I don't suppose that's an invitation?"

"It is indeed, Potter."

He took another step towards her. This was a free pass to do as she pleased… with a thick swallow, she took a step back.

"You're after something." He lowered his hand and backed up. She took a step towards him. "Tell me what it is."

"You won't help me if I do."

"Even so…" She stepped forward again.

"I want three things." He lifted a hand in her face and began raising his fingers, "Power, world domination, and immortality."

"So you're a generic villain?" She knew he was mocking her—her temper even rose for a second when he patted her cheek with his lifted hand.

"There is no such thing as generic when it comes to magic, girl." A chair rose up from under her, sweeping her off her feet and they were suddenly sitting in the chamber again with a chess table between them, "Your move."

* * *

The following month in the house was quite boring. She even took Eleanor Black up on a few music lessons.

She was practicing the dance moves her godfather had shown her last year when Kreacher popped in with two letters, one of which was from Hogwarts.

Her eyes wandered over the letter wish absent eyes, deciding to head out within the last week of summer break. The other letter was _far_ more interesting.

 _To Miss J. L. Potter:_

 _You are receiving this letter to inform you that you have been named a beneficiary to one of our clients. You are to go to Gringotts on the date of October 31, 1994 for the will reading of Mister Sirius Orion Black at 7:00 in the evening. Should you not arrive at the appropriate time you will be removed from the list of beneficiaries and what you have been bequeathed will fall to the next in line._

 _Signed,_

 _Snaghorn_

 _Lead Executor of Gringotts_

Her breathing became shorter as she took off to Sirius.

* * *

"I'm dead."

Jasmine couldn't resist the tears when he repeated the words again.

"I'm dead." Sirius's portrait kept saying it like he—"I can't tell you what to do, Jazzy. I can only offer you basic advice. Remember the fact that I'm dead and move on. You have a full life that I wanted you to live ahead of you while they worked on this portrait."

There was silence that could smother a pin drop.

"Oh."

Sirius sighed as she stood there sniffling.

"You should write to the headmaster and ask him for permission to visit Gringotts for my will reading." He didn't say anything else and stared at her with a growing grin, a clear plan in his mind, "They didn't ever require dress robes when I went to Hogwarts, Jazzy. Find out what the big idea is and plan something special for your beloved godfather, won't you?"

' _There we go…'_

Her mind ran through some of the magic she had learned since meeting her godfather.

Her best dark spell was the ultimate silencer, which she hadn't used since this past Christmas. Maybe that annoying Slytherin could do without a voice?

"Keep it simple, that's the best way to start." Sirius said, not understanding her silence. She smiled, not bothering to correct him.

"I can make it personal, right?"

"The best ones always are. Go have some fun, Jazzy."

"Thanks, Sirius." She turned away to head to the library.

"Also, the Marauder Manual's second password is _read it and weep_." Jasmine looked back at him for a moment, nodding. She walked off, taking a deep breath to hold in the flurry of emotions that coursed through her.

* * *

Days flew by and she was on her last week until she went to Hogwarts. She bought her things of decent quality, everything save for the dress robe had been bought.

Tom had plans for her to fulfill, of course. He had even promised to teach her a something useful if she didn't get caught. The red flash of his eyes reminded her what he was capable of if she dared to fail.

So, she was happily purchasing a pair of work gloves in the town of Little Hangleton. Tom gave her the directions and she walked past the lovely house with the well tended grass. Her relatives would have been envious if they saw it.

" _Don't think of those beasts."_ She sighed, " _There's a shack outside of the village, uphill."_

Dread filled her; it was the thoughts of how hard tonight's workout would be with her calves burning. She was winded when she reached the top of the hill, " _Keep going… I remember when I came here—"_

He cut himself off when she saw it. Nailed to the door was the corpse of a snake. She screamed and fell backwards when it began wriggling.

" _Tell it to open the door. The password is Open."_ There was _no way_ that was she going in there, nothing Tom could offer would make her… she began coughing as Tom began pulling at her body, trying to push her into unconsciousness—" _You will obey me, girl."_

His hands were pushing her from the forefront and—and— _Sirius smiled broadly at her, "You're the strongest person I know."_

She stood up as he hissed mindlessly, pulling back and away from.

"Open." She said in what she hoped was parseltongue. "I'll do this, but I want this spell to be a good one."

She was a Gryffindor, damn it! She couldn't let a bloody snake get the best of her, imagine what Sirius would say if he were more than a portrait.

Tom recovered, " _Try saying it to the snake this time."_

"Open." She repeated herself twice before she finally got it. She was a Gryffindor, she reminded herself as she began to walk up to the shack.

" _Conjure some birds, the incantation is Avis and there is no precise wand movement."_

From her wand flew a sickly toucan that burst into flames as soon as it flopped to the ground of the shack.

" _Huh. It seems that we'll be here a while."_ To her disappointment, she found that the safest plan that came to mind would made it true.

She summoned a toucan with a muttered incantation, watched it fly and pick up the ring. It lasted a second. She groaned and cast it again.

The birds pushed the ring, disappearing into dust each time. It was a few hours before the gloves came in handy. She stared at the ring in her gloved hand.

"Kreacher!" She placed it on the ground, glove and all. She tested the ring on one of her conjured birds and they watched as it withered away at just a touch. Kreacher eyed her with trepidation.

"Yes, Halfblood Mistress?"

"Put the ring in this glove with the locket. They are one and the same. _Do not_ touch it." With a swallow and a pinched face, the lie flew from her mouth. "I'll destroy them when I find the rest."

She yawned and began to walk to the village, hoping against hope that there was somewhere to eat in the town at this time of night. Jasmine didn't hear Kreacher pop away until she was a good part down the hill.

Tom would give her something nice for this favor tonight and knowing him, it would be both worth it and twisted.

* * *

"I don't suppose you expected something advanced did you?" Jasmine wished that she could say she hadn't.

"What good is this spell?"

"Every spell you'll learn from me is a necessity and this charm will be useful for our partnership."

"What does it even do?" Tom stared at her, smirking.

"As it is of my invention, you won't find it in books. This spell is how I got away with doing magic outside of school—" Her eyes would have lit up if not for the fact that she was in a place saturated with enough magic to hide her spells. "It also makes your wand impervious to the _Incantatem Revelio_ spell."

She blinked not knowing what he was going on about, "That particular spell shows what your last few spells were."

"I see." She said to hide her lack of enthusiasm. Tom either didn't notice or didn't care about her feelings on the subject.

"It is the only spell I can think of that you can cast directly on your own wand, Potter. You have to cast it before going about your illegal spellwork and you _must_ recast it after an hour." She resisted the urge to think of what would have taken him more than an hour that was illegal—"The incantation is _Umbra Naeniam_ and you just need to hold your wand to say it with your eyes closed."

She nodded struggling to look at him and focus.

"You will find this useful one day…" He released that all too pleasant smile, "I've been working on another spell for you to cast. I dare say, you'll need what I just taught you."

Shivers made their way up and down her spine and she looked away. What in Merlin's name could be so horrible—oh right, this was Tom Marvolo Riddle that was trapped in her head.

[***]

 _Dear Miss Potter,_

 _I cannot in good conscious allow you to go to the will reading of Sirius Black.._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster of Hogwarts_

* * *

Today would be a good day, or so she told herself this morning. She hadn't thought it would actually be true and wished that it hurt any less that she couldn't go thanks to that letter. There was a loud bang and she peered out of her lonesome compartment, seeing Malfoy in the state he was in made coming here at all worth it. Even if she had to listen to his whiny voice.

Neville must have gotten the better of him in one of their bouts.

She frowned and shut her compartment door again. Why had she been able to think of the famous boy without so much as a giggle just now? Sure, there was the fact that Neville hadn't even looked her way last year…

It occurred to her that maybe, just maybe… she had outgrown her love for him.

Malfoy stormed into her compartment, wand out.

Glad that she had practiced Tom's spell less than twenty minutes ago, she whispered her spell.

" _Turpe Silentium_." She watched his voice enter the jar she had been saving for that Greengrass girl and grinned at him. "Think before you act."

He moved his mouth and she narrowed her eyes at him, "Get out of my sight before I make you vomit slugs."

He bolted. When she shut her compartment door, she called out to Kreacher, "Halfblood mistress is calling Kreacher?"

"I want you to hide this somewhere where no one will find it. You will not allow any witch or wizard to find this jar and you _will not_ bring it to _anyone_ before Sirius's will reading, after that, you will destroy it two days after unless I say otherwise."

His mouth widened into something resembling a smile, "Little mistress is being very cunning for filthy halfblood. I is doing everything that she is saying."

Tom chuckled from the back of her mind and she smiled to herself, ' _Your move, Dumbledore…'_

* * *

 **The drow idea can be found in my other story, Life and Times. Otherwise, I don't have any real notes. It is just that I am looking for a regular beta I don't have to beg to look over this fic.**

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I hate fics that waste a bunch of time on the summer and barely any on Hogwarts.**

 **Review or PM if you're interested in being a beta.**

 **Edited 3/11/2019 to add linebreaks for all users.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was quite a thrill to be at the handle of the wand.

The thrill didn't quite fade enough to wipe a smile off of her face until a note had appeared in her hand. The deputy headmistress had come soon after dinner had started and Jasmine was led off to the headmaster's office.

She stared at her palm, where her note from the headmaster lay. She shouldn't have been surprised that Malfoy would rat her out as quickly as he had. But her silencing spell… Her upper lip curled at the sight he made, scribbling without a noise for the room to hear.

Magic was a truly splendiferous thing and she knew before he was done that the story would be wildly one-sided. When he met her eyes, she scowled at him.

Malfoy glared back for a moment before looking pointedly at his head of house, "Headmaster, if I may: the girl is clearly not stable enough to be in possession of a wand. A whole year catering to Sirius Black, learning who-knows-what, _must_ have addled her brain."

The idea of shooting flames from her eyes to light the greasy haired professor made an inopportune giggle erupt from her throat.

The headmaster was seated at his desk, looking between her and Malfoy. She looked him in the eyes, focusing on the image of Malfoy rushing into her compartment with his wand out, and the spell she'd used to deal with him. For a moment things flashed to Kreacher's smug face before she cleared her mind.

The headmaster chose that moment to speak up, a hint of steel in his voice.

"Miss Potter, why did you choose that spell?" Oh right… he could read minds. It occurred to her that Snape's pleas would be answered if she wasn't careful. She stared at her lap, trying to think of the best way to put it without expulsion being an option.

"I thought he was going to attack me. He ran in with his wand out and I defended myself." It wasn't the complete truth, but it would—a glance at the headmaster's set mouth that she wasn't the only one that knew what it was she was leaving out.

"Please, Miss Potter." She refrained from looking him in the eyes again. He sighed, though not in annoyance. "Tell me what you can of the spell."

She blanched, "Its an advanced silencing spell?"

Once upon a time, she had gotten sick of annoying portraits and looked up a silencing spell that worked on anything and everything. It was dark magic in its purpose; being that it was impossible to undo with a simple _finite_ and required things other than a wand to be successful. With a sip of the cool water provided, Jasmine continued:

"It served its purpose."

"What purpose is that?"

Odd… the headmaster showed no more signs of strain.

"I want to go to my godfather's will reading this Halloween."

She flinched when Tom's presence rushed to the forefront, " _You swallowed their laced drinks, didn't you?"_

Tom tutted but said nothing else as the headmaster continued his questioning.

"Is there a house elf involved?"

"Yes." Tom scoffed as the headmaster began to smile.

" _Think of snakes."_ She frowned when Tom didn't elaborate.

"What is the house elf's name?"

She closed her eyes and focused on the image on one of the nightmare-inducing beasts that had chased her through her nightmares last year, "Kreacher."

Her eyes snapped open as Malfoy fell out of his seat and even Snape looked a little queasy at the name. She focused on the headmaster, wondering if she had successfully spoken parseltongue.

"I repeat, Miss Potter: What is the house elf's name?"

' _Shiny snakes, shiny snakes…'_

"Kreacher." Again, nothing happened at her declaration. In what she knew was English, she said: "I will not say the name, nor will I say how to get his voice back. Will you allow me to go to my godfather's will reading?"

"So be it." Jasmine jumped a little as McGonagall spoke up for the first time since they'd arrived at the headmaster's office. She'd forgotten that the old witch was there… Jasmine didn't like the way her eyes were glittering in the torchlight and knew that the next words would be an attack on her godfather, "Take everything you can from that murderer."

' _Lo and behold…'_

"He never received a trial." Jasmine spat, standing up before she could stop herself, "He was Kissed as a legally _innocent_ man."

The old man was swift to stop conflicts she'd heard from her godfather. Dumbledore proved it by dismissing her before she could start a shouting match with her head of house.

When she made it to the common room, McGonagall seemed to be thinking of the best way to say something. Jasmine couldn't think of a polite way to ask for the password before the Deputy Headmistress gave in and said in a clear but strained voice:

"Balderdash."

Jasmine entered without a backward glance and the Fat Lady shut behind her.

* * *

 _The next day was boring, she maneuvered around the bubotuber pus in Herbology, and had no qualms with listening to Professor Hagrid's excited babbling about his latest creations._

 _Blast-ended Skrewts, he called them._

 _All in all, the week started very well. It wasn't until she had that Defence class with Moody that things started to go wrong. Paranoia filled her as he focused on her, asking her questions that she answered to the best of her ability, increasing the difficulty until…_

"What's the Cruciatus curse feel like to a masochist?"

She didn't think about it, recalling her godfather making that same joke to help her remember the different unforgiveables— "An Imperius curse without commands."

Moody cackled, "Tell me, Potter, how did you know about that one?"

"My godfather used that joke to help me study and defend against them."

It was then that she realized her mistake. Moody had been testing her aptitude for the Dark Arts and would undoubtedly write something or other about her down for his contacts. If he still had them. Moody's eyes focused on hers. She focused on his scarred nose instead, lest she felt that _push_ of legilimency. Annoyance pulled at her very core but she maintained a strong focus on the professor.

People were watching her again.

"Let's have a demonstration, shall we?" He took a swig from his flask and pulled out a jar with a tarantula in it.

She leaned forward, having never seen any of the Unforgiveables cast.

There was a chill in the room as he began to speak.

"The first one doesn't hurt as much as the rest until its over." He pointed his wand at the jar, unscrewing it with a flick and knocking the spider out with a tap. "The first one I'll show you is the imperius…"

He trailed off, looking around the room before zeroing in on Weasley for just a second.

" _Imperio_."

She giggled with the rest of the class's amusement, laughing with Finnegan and Thomas when it lept in front of Weasley. Such a girlish scream…

"You really think that this is funny?" Moody's face promised certain doom to everyone who didn't shut up. He relaxed a minute amount when they did so, though the spider kept dancing. "Imagine what would happen if someone cast this spell on you? Made you humiliate yourself like this? Made you do something worse? If I it wanted to, this spider could bite any of you!"

But _would_ he do it?

He seemed to pick up on her thoughts in particular, "Potter! Why don't you explain to the class what another Unforgivable is?"

"The Cruciatus?"

He licked his lips, "For this one, we'll need to show you _all_ what it looks like. _Engorgio_!" Weasley whimpered as the spider grew larger. "I want you all to see the effects of this curse! _Crucio_!"

She noted the way that Longbottom seemed to shrink away from the spider for the first time, of course, he was sitting in the front with his friend, so it was only natural that she couldn't see his face.

Everyone knew what this must have meant to him, being that he was famous for what his parents endured under it.

He was shaking when she called out, "Show us the next one! The killing curse!"

The torture went on for another thirty seconds before Moody called out, " _Avada Kedavra_!"

Down went the spider.

Her eyes widened as Longbottom fainted. This was the Savior who everyone claimed somehow slew the Dark Lord Voldemort. She giggled when the bell rang a moment after Moody woke the boy with a silent spell. The wizard shouted in his face for the class to hear:

" _Constant Vigilance_!"

* * *

Jasmine didn't know when her paranoia started acting up beyond the fact that she was awake and in bed. Her mind was racing as though a boggart was mindlessly hissing in the distance, preparing her for a good scaring.

The idea would have made her laugh in the past since her greatest fear was Tom, who had been rather inactive since her visit to the headmaster's office. When a light began to show from the corner of her eye, she shivered.

She slept with her wand and had polished it right before bed.

Was this a new incarnation? Would Tom appear as he did whenever there was a bogart involved? Her eyes squeezed tighter as she willed herself not to open them.

A gasp was all she heard when a dementor-like chill coursed through her. It wasn't until her eyes had opened that the screams that erupted entered her psyche. Her wand was pointed at one of her roommates. She was on the floor.

"I can't see!" She screamed. Jasmine struggled to remember the reversal of that spell before it hit her.

Little Sally-Anne Perks had wet herself and was desperately feeling for her wand. With a gulp Jasmine recalled the incantation and muttered, " _Vide oculis meis_."

With another spell, Jasmine vanished the liquids that covered her. She turned away and bit her lip in thought before laying back down. Did she want to sleep tonight? What did the evil entity inside her have planned? Was this a punishment for something?

Why had Tom done this?

She sat up again when McGonagall came in, breaking her from her thoughts—"Miss Potter." She paused and Jasmine wondered if it was for dramatic effect. The light that came from her wand lit the room as Jasmine got out of bed in her new night clothes. "Come with me."

Jasmine followed her, just a step behind.

It was too soon since her last infraction to ask for a lighter punishment, especially since she hadn't even gotten a detention for it.

She stared at her feet, focusing on taking one step at a time. A silly idea streaked through her mind as it occurred to her that she had never gotten one anyway. What did detention consist of, anyway?

The duo made it to the head of Gryffindor house's office. She stepped in after her, waiting by the door for her permission to sit down. McGonagall looked older than she had her first night back to term. Her eyes widened at the words that she muttered.

"Who hurt you so, Miss Potter?"

Her first reaction was to puff up and deny she'd ever been so weak. A chill went through her chest and she responded.

"It doesn't matter, we're here to discuss my punishment." She took the seat closest to the door and sat in that way that the Slytherin girls sat before lessons.

"That would be correct," McGonagall said, stiffening just so. Jasmine stared at her eyebrows, "You will have detention for the next two months with myself overseeing them. If you would like to speak to me about anything, Miss Potter, I want you to know that my door is open."

Jasmine's face pinched, though not in distaste. Why was she reaching out? With some effort, she calmed her quick heart and relaxed her body. The transfiguration professor just waited.

"That…" There was a lump in her throat now as she struggled to say something to deny the professor another chance to… ' _What can she do to hurt me now?'_

"That would be nice." Jasmine found herself saying less than a minute later. A few seconds passed and she said, "Thank you."

It was odd that she was so desperate for the warmth of another human being that she accepted McGonagall so easily. With a gulp, she watched as her elder began to reach into one of her desk draws and pulled out a tin.

She withdrew a biscuit and took a bite.

"What did that spell you used on Miss Perks do, Miss Potter?"

"It severed the connection of the eyes to the brain." She snapped her fingers and a tea set came into existence between them. "I reversed it."

House elves were wonderful. She didn't think further on them as McGonagall began to pour out tea with well practiced hands.

"It's a good thing you knew the reversal for that dark curse, Miss Potter: tell me, what would have happened if you did not know how to reverse the curse?"

"I… would have gotten expelled, I suppose."

"You did not understand my question: What would have happened to Miss Perks if you had not known how to restore vision to her eyes?" McGonagall slid a cup towards her and Jasmine couldn't bring herself to touch the cup as her stomach began to churn with guilt.

"I don't know, but—"

"This is why you will be receiving detention, Miss Potter. You have a wand, yes, but you must understand that using it for violence must be a last resort. Am I understood?"

"I understand."

They sat in silence as McGonagall finished her tea. The chill was back and giving her a migraine. It was a relief when she was sent back to her dormitory.

* * *

There were whispers everywhere she went and no one dared to do more than glance her way.

It was with a sigh that her latest dance fantasy was interrupted with a tearful Sally-Anne demanding that Snape fail her for the potion. It took Jasmine a moment to realize why.

Perks had always been the one to pair off with her in potions and it was with a sinking stomach she watched as Snape come upon the same realization as her:

"You… you fear a girl in your age group so much?" It was in that moment that Jasmine began to giggle, "Really now, Perks, it was only a few seconds. Malfoy hasn't made a noise since he tried to corner me on the train."

It was a precious three seconds before Snape kicked them both out of the classroom. Jasmine wasn't the one to fight him on the subject. It was a certain chill that made her wand snap out as Perks went to say something to her. She flinched as Jasmine turned away to walk off to the library.

"Scary _and_ crazy…"

"Is that what you think of me?" Jasmine's call was met with silence as she wondered what would happen to her potion grade thanks to the girl. She wanted to do her godfather proud, though she supposed the detentions she had earned would certainly do it.

She scowled at the whispers Tom began to send to her. Mindless as the wind she muttered back, "Shut up, Tom."

* * *

 **Yet another short chapter…**

 **Forgive for it, but I'm working on setup. I've had this one done for a while but I didn't want to post it until I added the linebreaks someone said were missing** **.**


	5. Chapter 5

' _I will follow the rules_.'

Just before Jasmine's detention had started Filch had come in with the Weasley twins, who were hours late for their own.

She was staring at the three small desks in the barren classroom, the last one of which had been conjured.

"You two will be doing lines," McGonagall said coolly, "Your objective is on the board."

The duo of redheads saluted her and sat down at a trio of desks. "You two will not be sitting next to each other. Now, Miss Potter—"

"Yes?" She focused on the fact that the twins had listened to her without a second thought, no comment or anything as they usually did. When she glanced over at the twins, one had slid into the center seat.

"The detention I had in mind for you will be postponed." McGonagall's lips set in a firm line as she made a complete turn to where the twins were seated. "I want a five-paragraph essay on the defining characteristics of self-control. You will be sitting _between_ the Weasley twins."

Somewhere along the way, Jasmine's first essay turned out to be good enough for McGonagall. The professor dismissed her on her first try, not taking her eyes off of the Weasley twins.

With a whispered disillusion charm, Jasmine made her way to the common room where nothing of note was happening. It was as she was making her way up the stairs she realized what tonight's entertainment would be.

"She's too weird!" Sally-Anne Perks shouted from the fourth year girl's dormitory. Jasmine entered to see her dormmates nodding in agreement. "She even has this imaginary friend she's rude too as well, you know."

Gasps sounded as Jasmine released the disillusion spell from behind the petite brunette and Lavender Brown even fainted.

"She told him to _shut up_ —"

"Shut up, Perks," The girl whirled around so fast she stumbled away from Jasmine and struggled to maintain her balance for a whole three steps, ultimately falling on her bum. Jasmine smiled at her. She flinched. "just shut up for the rest of the night."

Was it fair that the girl had to crawl out of her way to avoid being treaded upon? Jasmine's bed was a side step away from her, but the fact that she would do _this_ infuriated her enough to… to… she took a deep breath

Jasmine made her way to her trunk and pulled out her night robes.

* * *

When her eyes opened after laying down, Jasmine gasped at how bright it was. She closed them for a moment, sighing in relief when the intensity went down. Tom's hand brushed hers from her spot on the ground.

"Stay down, I want to watch clouds." Oh Merlin, he was planning something horrible… something that would most certainly end poorly for her—"It's been a few days since you've visited for long."

"Hogwarts has been keeping me busy and I want to get good grades."

"Sleep is important for a good mind."

She didn't answer for a moment, focusing on the long serpentine shapes that flitted through the perfectly blue sky. One was eating the rest and growing larger, though Tom didn't seem to care.

"What have you been working on lately?"

"The incantation is still a work in progress." Tom's voice strained slightly at his next words, "How was your detention?"

"We should watch the stars next time, maybe you can help me with my astronomy." She said in avoidance of the question, trying to think of the politest way to surmise the experience. When the skies began to darken, she gave in. "It was boring. McGonagall said she had something specific in mind for me, but all I did was write an essay."

Tom didn't answer for a moment and when she looked at him, his eyes were closed.

Had he somehow fallen asleep?

There was yelping in the distance and her eyes wandered to the army of puppies running up on them. She smiled and got up to spread her arms to them.

It was odd that Tom was going out of his way to keep her from thinking too much, but when the skies darkened and the puppies faded from existence, Tom said, "The brightest star is Sirius, not your godfather, but that one over there. It's in Canis Major…"

She stared, doing her best to follow his explanation.

* * *

Astronomy was easier after that one lesson with Tom and all of the answers seemed to have been covered by his lecture. It had been quite fascinating.

Jasmine's dementor like chills began to act up but she ignored it, pulling at her things as she offered to help the meek professor clean up after the ruder students who had left their parchment out.

"No, dear! Go get some sleep!" Jasmine nodded, pulling her things and heading away from the Professor. She was just at the base at the stairs when Jasmine saw a sliver of shadows moving before she was hit by a red spell.

"You're back early," Tom said in his usual coarse greeting.

"I was hit by a red spell."

"I'd say it was a stunner and you're stuck wherever you fell until someone finds you."

"The color was off, though… can't you wake me up?" He had once been able to pull her into sleep, so he should have been able to do the reverse.

Tom moved closer, slow and careful as though hunting a prey animal. He touched her forehead right where her horrible scar was and then she was up, wand in hand as she shot off a few repetitions of the same spell towards the giggling girl who would find themselves silenced with the basic version of her favorite dark curse. It wouldn't due to miss what she couldn't see.

She moved on when they fell over and refused to look at them.

' _If they try me, I could point out that I was stunned, right?'_

" _Probably not, but you did the right thing."_

She shuddered with pleasure. That was something, someone had praised her for the first time since her godfather had been Kissed. It was odd that she was finally getting over it with the help of a sworn enemy…

With a shiver, this time of that dementor like chill Jasmine jerked from the way of a red spell. She whirled around and spotted a school robe hemmed with green and silver just around the corner, "If it didn't work the first time, what makes you think it'll work this time?"

"She's not alone." An older Slytherin boy made himself known and she sighed before widening her eyes as she turned to face him, slow in her approach.

"What are you going to do to me?" His smile was so greasy that not even a house elf would clean it as she stopped his answer with a whispered _silencio_. She leapt around him and bolted down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.

' _Why do all the villains in my life try to monologue at me?'_

Tom released the first laugh she'd ever heard from him that wasn't filled with malice.

[***]

A few hours later, the Gryffindors were in Herbology.

She did all she could not to smash the puffapod into nothingness, plucking the appropriate leaves from the wriggly little thing before releasing hers.

"I don't suppose you've got a _nice_ hint for us," She jerked her head to stare as Sally-Anne began batting her eyelashes at the flushed Survivor. Jasmine giggled for a moment at her next words, "You're _the best_ here."

"It—it… uh…" Longbottom trailed off as Jasmine began to turn in her required amount of leaves. Sprout took the leaves, ignoring the struggling boy at the center of the feminine half of the class. Jasmine had noticed him, once upon a time.

The way he stuttered for the girls in comparison to the confidence he usually met her with… a frown crossed her face and she vowed to lose her excess quicker for him. Not to win him, but to show the shallow boy what he could have had.

With a gulp, Jasmine decided to plot… just a pinch, though.

She was wearing under robes that were a tad too loose since she'd begun her workouts again and Jasmine wasn't too happy with how they'd fit her this morning when she'd gotten out of the shower. Maybe this weekend, when the Hogsmeade weekend hit, she would buy a new set of robes to show off what little she had gained.

She certainly had more than the girls in her year…

Pushing the catty thoughts aside and abandoning the plan, Jasmine began to pluck more leaves from stray puffapods that no one was paying attention to, hoping for a bit of extra credit. Longbottom was met with a disappointed stare when Sprout announced that Jasmine had gotten the most leaves. Jasmine smiled and gave him a curtsy that most expected from purebloods her age. She meant it to be mocking so it filled her with surprise when he bowed back.

She bit back a sigh when Sprout called Longbottom to stay behind. Unable to think of something to crush him, she turned to Tom and got a surprising answer:

" _Stop being a twat, little girl. You already won."_

* * *

The days continued to flow past them, her attempts during most lessons were met with points since she was always one to succeed. Meanwhile, McGonagall seemed to be putting something off in their detentions which involved nothing but lines thus far.

Before she knew it, it was the thirty first of October and McGonagall was escorting her to Gringotts and though a bit disappointed that she was going to miss the entrance of the newest Triwizard Champion, Jasmine happily listened to the Transfiguration professor's instructions.

"… You will floo straight to Hogsmeade and go up to Hogwarts when the meeting is over, am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She didn't say goodbye, apparating away from the Gringotts entrance. Jasmine went in as quickly as she could, heading to the shortest queue which she knew to be dedicated to family affairs.

It was a guess, really. It wasn't like she could read in Latin. Her eyes wandered the main hall where she spotted a tall wizard strutting in as if he owned the place, when his eyes turned to her she shivered. The way he looked at her… it was almost as though he hated her! She had never seen this man before in her life so she resumed staring ahead as the line moved forward.

"I'm here for the will reading of Sirius Black." She said to the goblin at the front of the line. A quick glance behind her confirmed her fears.

There was a woman standing next to him, staring her down with pure loathing as someone who must have been her son stared at her with shock. It was Malfoy.

With a shiver she followed the goblin's directions, hoping that they weren't involved in the will reading. To her surprise, the room had a few other participants. It was none other than her godfather's last remaining friend… who she had… all but sworn a blood feud with that was the most familiar.

It was amazing how feelings could change when money was involved. She hoped that Sirius hadn't named him her guardian and that they would never see one another after this. She sat in the seat next to him, being that it was labeled _Potter_ and—damn it all!

"I'm—I…"

Sirius had spoken so well of him, so why—why did he have to ignore her? Why did swallowing her pride have to be so bloody hard? The Malfoys entered next and the goblin in charge of reading the will began, her mind wandered all around the room, desperately searching for something, anything to calm herself.

There was a podium at the front where a goblin was taking steps to stand behind it.

"Now that all of the Will Recipients are here we shall begin handing out the bequeathments. Once your bequeathment has been announced, you may go collect what's yours." There was a pause and the goblin banged on something which released a noise like a rubber duck losing its squeaker. She brought a hand to her heart when her godfather's voice sounded: "To Remus Lupin, my oldest friend until the day I died: I leave you ten thousand galleons to get that start you never wanted. Go on, buy yourself something nice, have the time of your life!

"To my cousin Narcissa, I give you a letter detailing how to break free and regain your independence." The witch stormed out, clearly having expected more. Malfoy made to follow, but his father held him back. "To my little charge, Nymphadora Tonks…" From the corner of her eye, the pink-haired punk turned an interesting shade of red, clearly annoyed.

"I give you and your family all that you need to expand your businesses and a letter of recommendation that I most certainly didn't blackmail a Ministry official for so that you may begin your journey as an Auror. I know you'll be a clutz, but with this letter, you'll be able to get away with legal murder!" There was a laugh as the redhead's hair turned a pasty pink, "Just kidding, inside your envelope is a one thousand galleon voucher for the Gringotts Goblin Adventure Enchanting Store. You'll have the best gear for your academy days and then some for renewing the enchantments on whatever you so choose.

"For my cousin's son, Draco Malfoy, I met you once in my life and did not see you again until a few days before I first successfully broke into Hogwarts. Remember that you are more than your name and title: I leave you a lump of coal." The said lump was shaped like a skull and Jasmine couldn't help but giggle. "Finally, to my daughter in all but blood: I leave you everything that hasn't already been spent on you, including my family seat in the Wizengamot, and all of the properties owned by the Black family. Please enjoy life and live without regrets. I also give you the chance to name a legal guardian. Which you will have to do before leaving Gringotts. I have given everything I have to those who have made the most impact in my life that still live. Do not mourn for me, feel happy in the many memories we that shared."

It wasn't a hard choice when Malfoy's father stood and said:

"I challenge the girl for her bequeathments."

"As a minor, she may not defend herself—" The goblin said patiently. Jasmine knew immediately who to call upon.

"I name Albus Dumbledore my legal guardian!"

Her smile brightened as Malfoy sat down in his shock. The leader of the light had only received praise from her godfather and he had a higher up position in the Ministry. Surely that would help things out, right?

"Clever girl…" Lupin muttered, before standing to leave. She knew words were bubbling to come to the surface for him, but she wasn't ready to say them, especially not in front of the current company. She maintained a pleasant smile on her face.

"Kreacher!" The house elf appeared, "Give the Malfoy boy his voice back."

"Yes, Little Mistress." The house elf disappeared for a moment before handing the boy a vial, which was vibrating from all the noises being kept within.

Jasmine stared at the elder Malfoy for a moment, "I'm sure my legal guardian can handle things from here, Mister Malfoy."

She was the next to stand and leave, heading straight to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

When she returned to Hogwarts, she was the center of attention. No one had waited for her at the entrance hall like McGonagall had said someone would, but when she left that to enter the Great Hall, well…

The whispers were the first thing she noted as she took her usual seat at Gryffindor table.

She pulled out her wand as she noted that there was no food for her. The Goblet of Fire, which was brought out a few days earlier, was unlit. It occurred to her a moment later what the silence was for.

"Who are the Triwizard champions?"

Longbottom leaned in close and her heart sped up at his next words, "You're one."

She laughed good and hard. When he didn't laugh with her she stood up and made to run from the room to—well anywhere but this castle. Filch grabbed her and began to drag her to the back room.

"Marvelous!"

She shrunk towards the squib who left the room as she saw the glaring faces of most of the other champions. The younger French witch was especially murderous.

"Zis _child_ cannot compete!"

Jasmine contemplated Azkaban in the moments before Dumbledore spoke to her. His eyes lacked their usual twinkle.

"Did you enter your name in the Goblet of Fire, Miss Potter?"

"No, I'm not _stupid_!" she spat the words with every intention of cutting the French woman. "I'd bet my wand that—"

" _Merde_ …!" The French witch sneered, "Zhere is eternal glory involved, why would a no-name orphan such as _you_ not want to enter?" Jasmine tilted her head and raised a fist before lifting the first finger.

"Number one: I will snap my wand if you can name the last Triwizard champion of Beauxbaton." The witch blinked.

"Zat does not matter, girl. Ze galleons—" Jasmine raised another finger.

"I'm not poor enough to risk myself for a _mere_ one _thousand_ galleons." From the corner of her eye, she saw the other two champions blanch. Without preamble, she continued, "So what does that leave? A dumb cup that I can easily pay someone to make for me for a measly two hundred galleons? Have I not been listening to our history lessons properly, headmaster?

" _No one_ cares about the Triwizard champions when the tournament is finished. Our resident _French maid_ just proved it." She turned to leave, "I did not enter myself and will not be…"

Jasmine's knees buckled and she was on her knees, throwing up. The sickness did not stop until she stopped thinking about forcing out the words of her surrender. She vanished the mess and stood, cleaning out her robes with a silently cast scouring charm.

"As we went over, you are _obligated_ to compete the moment your name comes out of the Triwizard cup. If you want to withdraw, it is too late. You were chosen and you are now magically bound to compete." Jasmine glared at the thin Ministry official as the rounder one took over.

"It will be a marvelous experience, don't you think, Barty? Four champions! Four!" He chuckled, "A shame there can only be one winner. You will be summoned on the day of the first task…"

The man grew grave, "Don't be late, your magical existence now hinges on this tournament." He then proceeded to sugarcoat all the points that Jasmine had made. With a scowl, she continued her glaring at the fireplace. A cold surged through her and the fire grew much larger, licking at the foreign officials and that man—Barty.

"Are we dismissed?"

* * *

She had no family to write to about what had transpired in the waking world. Jasmine shivered as Tom asked again, "Will you teach me to dance?"

"Offer your hand, please." He did so. It was a cold tingly where he touched her,, so unlike normal flesh. As she guided his other hand to her hip, she heard distant music that was coming closer.

"This one is like a basic waltz, the queues are in the music as well, so I'd suggest you learn them."

It was amazing how easy it was to follow this song compared to when she'd first learned this particular branch of dance. Sirius… he had given her so much. A love of life was one of the gifts she'd been taking for granted. She looked around, anywhere but at the wizard that prided himself for his hatred.

He pulled her close when she began to cry, "What'd I do wrong now?" She ignored his whispers of panic and pushed him away. "Just watch what I've learned so far."

She ogled him, wrapping her arms around herself as he backed away from her further. Jasmine decided to try to join him within a few moments of watching, falling on her arse a moment later since the grounds between them had changed quite suddenly—they were suddenly in the Chamber of Secrets.

Tom was in front of her, fingertips brushing her forehead, and forcing her to wake up.

Above her, Parvati Patil screamed as soon as Jasmine blinded her without so much as muttering the curse she needed.

Jasmine silenced her for good measure and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** **I give a great big thanks to TheRedPoet for making this better, but I am seeking a beta that is more permanent. I use GoogleDocs and am on Discord if you're interested in being a beta. PM or review your interest, please!**


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